in new york now we return to rebecca davis in washington with today's other international news
while negotiations resume this afternoon to bring down the indian barricades at oka outside montreal
the peaceful dismantling of the ghanawage blockades by the canadian army has begun
the canadian army surrounded the barricades yesterday and forced a solution at least for now
dan rosenberg has this report thanks to a dramatic gentleman's agreement between army lieutenant
colonel robin gagnon and members of the warrior society the ghanawake barricades are indeed being
taken down peacefully in a cooperative move by the military and the mohawks this military agreement
is separate from negotiations currently taking place in dorval quebec gagnon at a press conference
outside the army press center in shadowgy said today he has no control over when the blockades
are removed in oka the kanisitake natives there are reportedly asking for protection from reprisals
before they agree to give up their stronghold they're also seeking an amendment to the police act
which would guarantee politicians control over provincial police gagnon shrugged off suggestions
that he is a hero for accomplishing his mission without gunfire i'm not a hero at all he said
this is the result of several thousand men being deployed around the ghanawake area it is not a one-man
show gagnon emphasized he does not consider the mohawk's passiveness a surrender it's a military deal
he said there have been no arrests or confiscating of weapons because i've encountered no people carrying
weapons in front of me if that happens then i'll arrest them preliminary predictions were that the
mersey bridge linking shataghi to montreal would reopen by labor day captain richard saint louis of the
army media center said that military engineers will check to make sure the access roads and bridge are
safe before motorists would be allowed to proceed but first huge anti-tank ditches 20 feet wide and
10 feet deep would have to be filled in by the army and mohawks meanwhile quebec public security minister
sam elkus promised that rock-throwing hooligans who impeded the departure of evacuaries from ghanawake
on tuesday will be arrested and prosecuted seven members in a 60-car mohawk caravan were injured
in that ugly incident shataghi mayor bosco boursier was in quebec city today and could not be reached for
comment before leaving he told reporters that the blockade was the saddest event to happen to
shataghi since the historic battle of shataghi in 1813 dan rosenberg pacifica news shataghi quebec
what could turn out to be a precedent-setting decision has been handed down by an immigration
judge in washington dc the federal judge has told the immigration and naturalization service
that it cannot order three salvadorans back to their country as long as the civil war continues
william van wyke the attorney for the refugees says this is the first case in which an immigration
judge has allowed a refugee to remain because of war in another country this is different from
the usual case in which a person has to prove individual persecution if he or she would return
in fact in this case the judge said they have not proved that they're going to be individually
persecuted but nonetheless they have proved that they're fleeing from war and the murder rape and
destruction of war as he said and on account of our obligation to respect international law and his
obligation to apply international law in the deportation proceedings he said they shall not be
deported to el salvador this decision allows maria elena santos her mother and small child
to stay in the united states until the civil war in el salvador is over van wyke says this decision
should be helpful to the thousands of salvadorans who apply for asylum status in this country but are
refused last year the ins granted asylum to only three percent of those applying who had fled el salvador
the ins has until september the 6th to decide whether to appeal the judge's ruling attorney van wyke
says an appeal is likely because the ruling is contrary to a decade of federal immigration policy
after weeks of military stalemate and countless tribal killings a 2500 member peacekeeping force has
been sent into strife-torn liberia the troops mission is to enforce a ceasefire in the country's eight
month civil war richard nyberg has his report from the ivory coast the force consisting of troops from
nigeria ghana the gambia guinea and sierra leone was organized by the economic community of west african
states or ecowas led by ghanaan commander arnold quenu the troops today were consolidating their
position around the monrovia port where they landed at the weekend few details of fighting have emerged in
recent days but the african peacekeeping troops encountered resistance from rebels of the national
patriotic front of liberia on saturday the rebels led by former government official charles taylor
have called on the ecowas troops to pull out the npfl rebels now control all of liberia except for the
port area and central monrovia where beleaguered president doe is holed up with about 500 members
of the elite presidential guard most troops loyal to doe are from his kron tribe while nearly all of the
rebels are from the rival guio and mono groups in banjoel the gambia meanwhile numerous liberian
politicians and religious leaders were meeting today to try to lay groundwork for an interim government
and elections in the west african states the talks got underway this week despite the absence of president
doe and taylor but dissident rebel leader prince johnson who has agreed to an informal truce with
the doe forces and who has welcomed the african peacekeeping troops has sent a delegation to the
conference so far the liberians have agreed that doe must step down to pave the way for presidential
elections they were expected to name an interim leader soon but with thousands of armed rebels opposing
peacekeeping troops and no indication that doe will leave office the librarian crisis seems set to drag on for
weeks for pacifica news and obby john ivory coast this is richard nyberg and you're listening to the news on wbai new york
i'm julie kellen in new york with rebecca davis in washington brooklyn activist vander beady a former state senator and
congressional candidate trying to make a political comeback was shot in the head and killed today in his democratic campaign
headquarters beady was shot down about 1 30 in the afternoon in the banner draped converted bar
and died a short time later at brooklyn jewish hospital police are searching for a man who was
reported to have fled the office just after the shooting beady was once a brooklyn political powerhouse
and leading black activist but was brought down by a long criminal investigation he served two prison terms
and had only recently been released he left his state senate post in 1982 to make an ill-fated run for
the u.s house seat being vacated by long-time representative shirley chisholm earlier today an
assistant district attorney was slain outside a food store in a drive-by shooting near the bronx court
building where he worked the prosecutor sean healy was shot at least once in the head by a gunman in a
passing car he was declared dead on arrival at lincoln hospital rikers corrections officers used
excessive force to put down a mid-august riot at rikers island this according to the new york state
commission of correction meanwhile some members of the corrections officers union will be picketing
for the removal of the head of that union philip selig wbai's william hollister reports on both
developments over a hundred inmates and guards were injured in the rikers melee and corrections
officer strike two weeks ago prison guards had argued they had beat the inmates in self-defense
to control a riot but according to a statement on the august 14th incident issued by the new york
state commission of correction this isn't the whole story the statement says in many cases it was the
inmates who acted in self-defense steven del jaco is a spokesperson for the commission we've looked at
medical records which document a number of fractures multiple fractures um other injuries sustained by
inmates which uh lead us to conclude that that a fairly large number of inmates suffered defensive
wounds in other words they were hit trying to protect themselves and that a number of them in fact were
struck from behind we believe that evidence and the large number of inmate injuries and the severity of
those injuries really offers to us conclusive evidence that the force that was used by officers
was far in excess of what was necessary to control the inmates and to protect themselves this information
affirms what many rikers inmates and their attorneys have been saying for a while john boston is a staff
attorney at the prisoner's rights project at the legal aid society there was in fact massive retaliation
and brutality by officers that was not justified by the misconduct that the inmates engaged in and in
fact it was meted out to many inmates who had engaged in no misconduct whatsoever uh as far as we can tell
this is about the most massive instance of officer misconduct and brutality that has ever happened in the
new york city jail system boston says the august 14th melee is the culmination of a system that has been
getting progressively more and more violent over a number of years and seems out of control and the
disturbing thing is that it's not just the inmates who are out of control this is something that we hear
fairly frequently but that the staff themselves the supposed law enforcement officers of rikers island
that are out of control and engaging in overtly illegal activity the new york city department of
corrections could not be reached for comment ironically the statement of excessive force comes as a federal
district court judge upholds the right of officers to use deadly force to defend themselves against
prisoners boston says the regulations are really nothing new he says they simply ratify an agreement
between the legal aid society and the department of corrections on some level it was sort of a tempest in
a teapot because the department of correction claimed that it was never trying to change the policy it
was just trying to make it clearer and everybody agrees that what we came out with is not a changed
policy that it still maintains all the essential restrictions against the misuse of force by
correctional officers but it's shorter and more understandable to the ordinary person however phil selig who is
president of the correction officers benevolent association says he still has some reservations
and will appeal the ruling on several technicalities meanwhile some members of the correction officers
union are calling for selig's ouster on a stormy meeting wednesday night black correction officers members
of the guardians association said they would petition for the removal of selig the guardians association
charges that selig has shown a pattern of subtle racism last week it was reported that selig insinuated
that mayor david dinkins race affected his ability to deal with the rikers melee selig says he was
misrepresented he says it is simply a management labor issue he suggests dinkins is using the predominantly
black labor to bust the union he represents the association says in addition to the racially insensitive
comments selig has not retained any black law firms or medical officials for the union also they say
selig who is white does not represent the union membership which is mostly black the guardian
association says if selig doesn't resign in two weeks the group will file a federal lawsuit against
the union charging racial discrimination for wbai news i'm william hollister new york city officials are
alleging there's a major discrepancy in the new census data according to rough figures released by the
census bureau the population of new york state rose by less than half a percentage point the figure showed
the population of new york city actually decreasing since 1980 this data is disputed by many experts and
community leaders who point to the dangerous impact these inaccuracies may have devika dayal has this report
many demographic experts are shocked by this year's census figures i think it badly underestimates the
amount of people in new york city so it doesn't really give us it doesn't really give you a good
picture of what how many people are here and what kinds of people are here professor emmanuel tobia at
nyu's robert wagner school of public service says contrary to the census figure of about seven million his
estimate for new york city is close to eight million professor tobia says this discrepancy will worst
affect the city's lower income groups and already poorly representative groups we spoke to many
community leaders who agree with that analysis council and window falls to represent the ninth district
in the south bronx poor communities like the south bronx uh in the poorest area in the whole united
states of america is going to be severely affected we get our educational dollars as a result of the
census we get other uh social service money as a result of the census and that we cannot afford we just
cannot afford to be adversely affected educationally we suffer already many of the young people coming
out of school cannot read and write and attribute a great deal of the crime to the fact that young people can't read and write but they can sell dope without
knowing how to read and write so it's that's the way that's the way it's going to affect us in every way
the quality of life the fact that you're going to lose uh representation in government when actually
you need more representation in this community in government okay my name is stanley mark i'm program
director at asian american legal defense and education fund and we feel that this undercount hurts all
minorities and also asian americans and we have all the kind of all the services that are usually
available for uh poor immigrant community and that would include you know bilingual services from you
know including health and social services etc so i think that that's a pretty dramatic impact okay my name
is gilbert banks and i'm from holland fight back we've been in holland for 27 years we have just received
some information that new york city uh generates 89 billion dollars in general revenue and only gets
back six billion dollars and i'm sure that that's that kind of problem in terms of money becomes from
the fact that uh there is no there is no representation based upon the uh uh census taking that means that
we don't get the services that new york city has to have in terms of rebuilding the infrastructure
you'll be see the infrastructure which has been been just been destroyed by years and years of neglect
you've been listening to the rebroadcast of the wbai news over wbai new york
well a very good evening
to everybody this is emmanuel goldstein the program is the fifth corner
and we alternate here every other thursday night with andrew phillips
and where have i been the last month or so but one of the places i was was mexico that's where this
tape came from straight from uh from the heart of mexico and what a what an amazing place it was
uh just be driving down desert highways that seemingly have no end to them
very peaceful kind of a atmosphere to be in but then one day
early in the month i turned on the radio and i listened to a radio station that was coming from
the united states and that's the first time i heard the age-old phrase get your filthy hands off my desert
yet again
and mexico faded away
and mexico faded away
and
mexico
Galtieri took the Union Jack
And Maggie, over lunch one day
Took a cruiser with old hands
Pound to make him give it back
I don't approve dictators any more than you do
But if supporting dictators helps to keep the free world free, we'll support them
Expediency
Well, we're not going to sit by and be spectators to a communist takeover in this country
What communist takeover?
America's putting the guns and tanks into this country
America's building that damn military road
I told you, De Jong, it's not military
Then force coincide to prove it for my people
Take your guns and tanks away from him
The minute we take our guns and tanks out of here
There'll be a vacuum that the communists will jump into
Faster than Hitler took Poland
Now, who's spouting slogans?
Where do you think you are?
Little rock
And who do you think I am?
Your little brown brother
No
I'll tell you who I think you are
I think you're a dangerously misinformed man
With a sinister notion about what the United States stands for
This is our care
Not the United States
We don't get down on our knees to the stars and stripes here
You cheap, twisted ingrate
I am damn proud of the stars and stripes and they've been pretty good to you
Who do you think's been buying your groceries for the past seven years?
I'm not talking about the United States government
I'm talking about the American people
From Boise, Idaho and Moline, Illinois
People that have contributed millions of dollars out of their own pockets
To Project Hope, to the care packages sent all over the world to people like you
You can't buy gratitude with your handouts
We don't need your gratitude
And we don't want you down on your knees to us
Or to rush out of red China either
Don't preach at me
I'm not your pupil anymore
I'm warning you, De Jong, for the last time you better listen to what I'm telling you
I will not listen to your garbage anymore
This is not your country, it's mine
You're a Judas, Colt
And you're leading your people right straight to the slaughterhouse
Now
You listen
You wouldn't care about us
If the Cold War didn't exist
Millions of us know it
Wherever
You've exploited us
Cheated us
Abandoned us
To tyrants like Quensai
Wherever black or brown or yellow men
Can read the newspapers
And know that
Get your hand out of my face
Your democracy is a fraud
It's for white people only
I warn you
If we have to die again
We will die again
If we have to kill you
We will kill you
But
We won't let the Yankee Imperialist
Bastards
Tell us what to do
It's up to you not to eat the caller
It's up to you not to eat the caller
You must not act the way you were brought up
Who knows the reason why you were brought up
Who knows the plans and why they were thrown up
It's up to you not to eat the caller
It's up to you not to eat the caller
I don't want to die
It's up to you not to eat the caller
I don't want to kill
For he will die
For he will die
But
For he will die
For he will die
For he will die
For he will die
For he will die
For he will die
For he will kill
Maybe I want to see the weak fields
For he will die
Over Kiev and down to the sea
It's up to you not to hear the call-up
I don't want to die
It's up to you not to hear the call-up
I don't want to kill
All the young people down the ages
They gladly marked off to God
Proud city father used to watch death
Tears in their hearts
It's up to you not to hear the call-up
I don't want to die
It's up to you not to hear the call-up
I don't want to kill
For Kiev will die
Is he okay
There is a rose that I want to live for
That I want to live for
Although God knows I may not have met her
There is a dawn that I should be with her
There is a town unlike any other
It's up to you not to hear the call-up
You must not act the way you were brought up
Who gives you up
Who gives you up
Why should you do it
It really is 55 past 11
It really is 55 past 11
There is a road
There is a road
I've always wanted to do that
I've always wanted to play that song just as it turned
55 minutes past 11
In the literal sense
But in the figurative sense
It's 55 past 11
And getting all the closer to midnight
We've got a lot of things to talk about tonight
We'll be inviting your calls a little bit later on
The program is The Fifth Corner
This is Emmanuel Goldstein
And as you know
I like to play with technology quite a bit
And I've been playing with both my shortwave radio
And my telephone
In attempts to get different angles
On this whole MIDI situation
Intriguing, I'll say that
Although it is a dangerous situation nonetheless
One thing that I was able to uncover
And this was by playing with some old tapes
I found an interesting series of reports
That came out of an organization
Known as Audio Features Incorporated
And this was something back from 1981
So let's all take a trip down memory lane
And see if anything has really changed
The administration's plans
To sell five surveillance aircraft
AWACS and other military equipment
To Saudi Arabia
Is opposed by the director
Of the Center for Defense Information
Rear Admiral Gene LaRock
The admiral who served seven years
In the Pentagon
As strategic planner
Says the deal will not benefit
The United States
The sale of
Eight and a half billion dollars
Serve the U.S.
Strategic interest in that area
It'll destabilize the area
Makes war more likely in that area
And certainly is not in the interest
Of the United States
Admiral LaRock warns that the instability
Of the Saudi kingdom could result
In the AWACS falling into the wrong hands
And LaRock believes Saudi use of the planes
Will not be for defense
I see it as a real threat
To the security
And safety
Of the state of Israel
And not something
That could be argued
As an offensive weapon
Against a Soviet attack
Or against attack
From Yemen
Or Oman
Or some other country
In the region
The sale of the AWACS
The surveillance planes
To Saudi Arabia
Will take place
Unless both houses of Congress
Vote against the deal
By October 30th
This is Bob Gibson
The
We'll be right back.
We'll be right back.
It's one hour Greenwich Mean Time, and here is the news from the Voice of America.
The Voice of America.
I'm Ross Carpenter in Washington.
Preparations are underway to evacuate women and children hostages from Iraq and Kuwait, but the United States says Iraq is complicating matters by imposing new restrictions on those seeking to leave.
News reports say Iraq has moved at least 100 Western women and children from strategic installations around the country to a Baghdad hotel in preparation for their departure.
Officials in London say Iraq has given permission for a British-owned Virgin Atlantic airliner to fly to Baghdad Friday to evacuate 140 hostages.
Britain's Foreign Office says Iraqi authorities are also arranging for the possible evacuation of 132 British women and children to be flown on an Iraqi airways jet from Baghdad to London, but there has been no word on when that flight might depart.
The United States has complained that Iraq's promises to free women and children have been complicated by new restrictions and that no Americans have yet been released.
The Iraqis have now imposed additional demands on those wishing to depart.
For example, they are now demanding that a letter from each American be written stating that they want to depart, a translation of that letter into Arabic, and a stamp on the letter by unspecified, quote, appropriate fiscal authorities to show that all Iraqi taxes have been paid.
We hesitate to dignify these demands as, quote, exit procedures, end quote, because they are constantly changing and extremely confusing.
State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tuftweiler.
Meanwhile, President Bush says the United States is asking its allies to help pay the costs of the U.S. military deployment in the Persian Gulf, as well as provide economic assistance to countries that have been hard hit by the U.N. economic sanctions against Iraq.
U.N. Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuellar is to discuss the Gulf crisis in Jordan Friday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tadek Aziz.
The U.N. chief says he will listen to what Iraq has to say and will urge Baghdad to comply with a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait.
Cairo was the setting for an Arab League meeting Thursday aimed at reducing tensions over the Gulf crisis.
An Egyptian foreign ministry official said a Six-Nation Committee has been formed to assess recent Arab initiatives to negotiate a settlement to the crisis.
A draft resolution on the issue is expected to be presented at a second emergency session Friday evening.
U.S. Navy ships in the Middle East are stepping up enforcement of U.N. trade sanctions against Iraq.
The OA correspondent, Art Charles, says the latest action is in the Red Sea.
Some 250 ships have been intercepted, but only a few have actually been boarded.
In the past two days, U.S. sailors have boarded four vessels.
They turned back one of the ships registered in Sri Lanka after it was found to have a prohibited cargo bound for Iraq.
No Iraqi or Kuwaiti vessels have been boarded during what the U.S. military is calling Operation Desert Shield.
Just two days ago, the Pentagon said the number of ships intercepted was 170.
Now the number is 250, but spokesman Pete Williams characterized it only as a steady increase.
It's a function of more ships in the area.
I can't give you all the reasons that it's gone up.
I don't think it's a significant, I don't think it's a huge jump, in other words.
The Pentagon also announced the activation of several additional reserve units, including an Air Force squadron from Texas,
some of whose members were among the 13 people killed in the crash Wednesday of a C-5A cargo plane at a U.S. airbase in West Germany.
Our chimes, VOA News, the Defense Department.
Now when I was a young man, I carried my pack, and I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Morrie's green basin to the dusty outback, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
And in 1915, my country said, son, it's time to stop ramblin', there's work to be done.
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun, and they sent me away to the war.
And the band played waltzing Matilda, as the ship pulled away from the key.
And amid all the tears, the flag waving and cheers, we sailed off for Gallipoli.
Well, I remember that terrible day, when our blood stained the sand and the water.
And how, in that hell that they called Suvla Bay, we were butchered like lambs of the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was ready, oh, he primed himself well.
He rained us with bullets, and he showered us with shell.
And in five minutes flat, we were all blown to hell.
Nearly blew us back home to Australia.
And the band played waltzing Matilda, when we stopped to bury our slain.
And we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs.
Then it started all over again.
Those who were living just tried to survive in that mad world of blood, death, and fire.
And for ten weary weeks, I kept myself alive, though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big turkey shell knocked my arse overhead.
And when I awoke in my hospital bed,
And saw what it had done, and I wished I were dead.
Never knew there were worse things than dying.
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near.
For the hump tent and pace, a man needs both legs.
No more waltzing Matilda
No more waltzing Matilda
No more waltzing Matilda
No more waltzing Matilda
No more waltzing Matilda
No more waltzing Matilda
They collected the wounded
The crippled
The maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless
The armless
The armless
The legless
The blind
The insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Sula
Matilda
And when the ship pulled into Circular Quay, I looked at the place where my legs used to be, and thank Christ, there was no one there waiting for me, to grieve and to mourn and to pity.
And the band played waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
When nobody cheered
They just stood there and stared
Then they turned all their faces away
So now, every April, I sit on my porch, and I watch the parade pass before me, and I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, renewing their dreams of past glory.
I see the old men, all tired, stiff, and sore
The weary old heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask, what are they marching for?
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
When year after year
The numbers get fewer
Someday no one will march there at all
Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come waltzing Matilda
With me
And their ghosts
May be heard
As they march by the billabong
Who'll come waltzing Matilda
Who'll come waltzing Matilda
With me
Well, after all the marching and the brave talk and the excitement ends,
that's when the really horrible stuff begins.
And we all hope that that's something that people consider.
There's been a remarkable lack of that in this particular case.
And I'm not saying that what's going on over there isn't a bad situation.
It certainly is when one country invades another country.
I mean, we've seen it over here in this hemisphere quite a bit, haven't we?
It's not a very good thing. It should not be tolerated.
But one has to wonder when 250,000 troops are said to be preparing to mass in a foreign land.
And what's going to happen?
Everyone is saying, we're going to be there a long time, you know?
It's going to be the next Vietnam, the sequel to Vietnam.
All you people that feel cheated for not having been a part of that, well, this is your chance.
And yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun, you know?
You've been watching films and seeing all the glory of war.
But there's a lot of misery to war.
And it doesn't just end on the battlefront.
It comes right back here.
It affects every last one of us.
And I only hope that that doesn't get proven to be right, you know?
Because it happens so much in the future.
I mean, I'm sorry, in the past.
I guess I'm speaking with some kind of prophecy in mind.
But yeah, it's going to happen in the future, I'm sure.
A world will happen in this particular case.
Nobody really knows.
Although a lot of people seem to want it to.
A lot of people seem to want us to go to war over this, what I think is a rather stupid situation.
It really is an incredibly stupid situation, now that I think of it.
It's a conflict that has been going on, actually, for quite some time, as most conflicts do.
But for some reason, as always, we're the only ones that can go over there and make peace.
Well, there's a lot we can be doing back here at home.
One thing, in today's New York Times, leaders of the largest Arab American civil rights group
said today that President Bush and other members of the administration
had inadvertently fostered an atmosphere of animosity toward Americans of Arab descent
by using heated oratory directed at President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.
That assertion by leaders of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
came at a news conference where the group circulated a list it had drawn up
detailing threats and attacks against Arab Americans since Iraq invaded Kuwait four weeks ago.
You know, it's interesting.
I went around asking a couple of people as part of a sort of an informal poll of my own
whether or not they thought that the Saudis would be any match for the Americans.
And I asked three people, and all three of them said,
no way, we're going to kick their asses.
The Saudis are on our side, for God's sake.
Aren't they supposed to be?
Of course, if you listen to the reports that I dug up from the closet ten years ago,
you'd never guess that the Saudis are supposed to be our friends.
And probably back then, Iraq was our friend.
And ten years from now, Iraq will be our friend, and Iran will be over for dinner,
and the Saudis will be the enemies.
It's just a never-ending carnival, it seems, of ridiculous squabbles and rhetoric and that kind of thing.
Anyway, to continue with the matter here, at home,
the committee condemned Iraq's detention of foreign nationals
and announced plans for a petition drive among Arab Americans
aimed at persuading Baghdad to end that practice.
The group's criticism of the language used by the president and other administration officials
comes not long after Mr. Bush, explaining the American military presence in Saudi Arabia,
compared the Iraqi leader to Hitler.
Citing such language, Abdin Jabara, the organization's president, said,
George Bush set the tone in his Let's Get Tough speech,
where he compared what happened in the Gulf to what happened in Europe in the 1930s.
I think that was clearly a message that he was using to help build up public support.
But he inadvertently helped to increase Saddam's popularity in the Middle East
and make anti-Arab sentiment in this country more kosher, so to speak.
James Abarizik, a former senator from South Dakota who is now the organization's chairman,
said Mr. Bush has total command of the media
and could use his position to draw a clear distinction
between what he termed Iraqi military aggression
and the law-abiding activities of Arab Americans.
It would be a very easy thing for him to do, Mr. Abarizik said.
The committee's leaders were also critical of Margaret Tutwiler,
the chief spokeswoman at the State Department,
although they cited no specific remarks of hers.
Just her overall attitude, I guess.
The State Department said tonight, actually that was last night,
that it would have no comment.
At the White House, a spokesman, Roman Papadiouk,
said we have not seen the remarks from the committee
and therefore cannot comment on them.
The committee also said it planned to gather Arab Americans' signatures
on petitions calling on Mr. Hussein
to release all foreign nationals being held against their will.
Mr. Abarizik said he would travel to Baghdad
to present the petitions to the Iraqi president.
We're an organization dedicated to combating the negative images
and stereotyping of Arab Americans
and Arabs in all respects of American popular culture.
The taking of innocent hostages
and denying free exit to foreign nationals in these countries
is not only wrong,
but will have a negative impact on Arab Americans here.
Those comments from Mr. Jabara.
The news conference comes at a time
when the committee and other Arab American groups
say there has been a sharp rise in hostility
toward the estimated 2.5 million Americans of Arab descent.
Today, the organization released what it called
a representative list of 19 incidents this month
in which Arab Americans have been physically attacked,
verbally threatened,
or subjected to racist or insensitive remarks
by radio disc jockeys and talk show hosts.
Spokesmen for the committee
played tape recordings of obscene telephone messages
received at the group's office in Santa Ana, California
and made to an unidentified Arab American
in Columbus, Ohio.
In the call to the California office,
an anonymous male suggested a soap opera
about Arab Americans
that depicts people with prayer rugs
in the street,
camels walking around,
hold-up men,
and Arab prostitutes
with their faces covered.
In language laced with profanity,
the caller in Ohio
referred to the Arab American
receiving the call
as a towel head
and told him that he should
quote,
keep an eye out,
watch behind your back,
you're the next hostage,
unquote,
using an expletive
before the word hostage.
At the news conference,
Mr. Javara said,
if this type of thing
is going to happen now,
what will happen
if there is a shooting war
over there in the Gulf?
That article written by Stephen Holmes,
Thursday's New York Times,
entitled,
Arab Americans
Faulting Bush on Hostility.
So, it has a lot of,
a lot of backlash,
you know.
I mean,
we go over there
and go to save the oil fields,
not even our oil fields,
I mean,
we haven't bought the oil yet,
you know.
Can you imagine
if we suddenly decided to,
you know,
to,
well,
let's say the farmers
finally got fed up
with the way they're treated
and they stopped growing crops
and the rest of the world
got all upset
because we weren't selling them
crops like we used to,
you know.
Can you imagine
coming over here
and saying,
well,
you know,
we're going to protect
these,
you know,
these farm fields
because they're destined
for the rest of the world.
It's,
I'm not justifying
what's happening over there.
I'm not justifying
the atrocities,
although the administration
here in this country
has justified
the atrocities
of Saddam Hussein
over the years
and has,
in fact,
even helped
with some of those atrocities
by pumping in
aid of various,
various sorts.
But,
while I'm not condoning
anything that's going on
over there,
I'm just sort of
pointing a cautionary finger
saying,
guys,
it's a lot more complicated
than you think.
Another thing that's
a bit more complicated
is shortwave radio.
A lot of people
can't figure it out.
The piece that we heard
tonight was
from the Voice of America,
a newscast
aimed at the rest
of the world.
In fact,
we'll be hearing
something else
from the Voice of America
very shortly.
We also heard
Waltzing Matilda
from the Clancy Brothers
and Tommy Maycomb,
concert recorded
in 1977
and
The Clash
before that
with a twin song,
The Call Up
and The Cool Out
from an EP
back in 1981.
And we also
heard some Mexican music
up on top.
I'd like to play
a little bit more
of that
before we end
the show tonight
because it's just
such a pleasant
kind of music
to listen to.
And it brings back
good memories for me
of my trip down
to Baja, California
and the nice things
that were happening
before I got back here
and found out
about all the garbage
that's going on.
Anyway,
we followed up
the Mexican songs
with a bit of
Pink Floyd,
Get Your Filthy Hands
Off My Desert.
And does anybody
know where
that amazing dialogue
about Yankee
imperialists
and the communist
domino theory threat
and all that?
Do you know
where that came from?
It came from a film
that came out
in the 60s
called The Ugly American.
Definitely recommend
seeing that film.
It's a very good production.
And that's where
that dialogue came from.
And speaking of
shortwave radio
from today's
New York Newsday,
President George Bush
in a pep talk
intended for American troops
in the sweltering
Persian Gulf
but apparently
heard by few of them
said yesterday
that because of
the massive U.S.
deployment
nobody's feeling
the heat more
than the Iraqi
government of
Saddam Hussein.
In the speech
broadcast over
Armed Forces
radio from
the Oval Office,
Bush said
the deployment
of tens of thousands
of ground troops,
hundreds of warplanes
and scores of ships
is proof the United States
will do what it takes
at any hour,
anywhere,
to contain aggression
and keep freedom's
light alive.
Now,
why was nobody
listening?
Well,
officials acknowledge
that because the
radio network
has no transmitter
in Saudi Arabia,
U.S. forces
in the Desert Kingdom
did not hear
the live broadcast.
Incredible.
But they said
it was heard
by personnel
aboard U.S.
ships in the region
and that transcripts
and tapes
would be distributed
to units
on the ground
in Saudi Arabia
within a week.
Promise.
In the five-minute talk,
Bush expressed
the nation's gratitude
for the troops'
sacrifices.
You're now in the middle
of one of the toughest
military missions
in modern memory,
he said.
Well, as tough as it is,
know this.
Thanks to you,
nobody's feeling the heat
more than the government
in Baghdad.
Bush added,
you stand on the front line
against aggression
and international lawlessness.
We have never sought conflict,
nor do we hope
to chart a course
for other nations,
but at the hands of injustice
in the face of aggression,
ours is a once-reluctant fist
now clenched resolutely.
Oh, is he King Lear or something?
God, what a sentence.
Anyway,
it is your presence,
your skills,
your talents,
your judgment
that bring America's principles
to life
and give them strength
and meaning,
Bush said
before collapsing
in a heap.
Oh, boy.
Amazing.
Oh, he said one more thing, too.
Together with our allies,
we will find the way to peace.
And if we do find the way to peace,
it's going to be because
cooler heads will have prevailed
and, folks,
I'm calling on the cooler heads
to come out and be counted
because there's nothing easier
than joining nationalism
and rallying around the flag
and all that kind of thing.
And it's real hard
to stand up and be counted
when
your position
isn't exactly popular.
You know,
and we need people
who are not gung-ho
to
say things,
to write things
to newspapers.
I'm starting to see,
you know,
a little bit of
feedback finally,
but the press
has been so pathetic
as far as their coverage
of
this particular event.
It sounds like
the voice of the administration.
It really does.
I mean,
the voice of America
is no worse
than ABC News,
and that should not be.
The voice of America
should be a lot worse
as far as propaganda
because they're run
by the government.
But that's just
not the way it has been.
Not the way
it has been at all.
Now,
technologically wise,
let's take a look at
what happens
if you try to
make a phone call
to Iraq.
That's something
I've been trying
over the last
couple of weeks.
And generally,
you'll get
the following recording.
Actually,
correction,
this is
making a phone call
to Kuwait.
Yeah,
if we try making
a phone call
to Kuwait
using AT&T,
you will most likely
get this message.
Due to an emergency
situation
in the country
you are calling,
your call cannot
be completed
at this time.
I don't know
if you can hear him.
listen carefully.
Due to an emergency
situation
in the country
you are calling,
your call cannot
be completed
at this time.
Yes,
apologies for the
horrible sound
quality there.
That's my
answering machine.
And a brief
note of explanation
there.
You may notice
that there's a
little computerized
voice that
gives the time
and then you
hear a beep
in I believe
the right channel.
It's a special
kind of machine
that allows you
to skip forward
certain messages
and the technology
at work there
allows you
to do that.
speak.
All for one
and one for all
All for one
and one for all
All for one
and one for all
All for one
and one for all
Now in the call
I was told
about the empire
How you were bold
A pint of beer
Life passes by
Your spirit squad
Just like the fly
Your spirit squad
Just like the fly
Across this grain
Across this grain
And pleasant land
The power's slipping
Through the air
Through your hand
All for one
And one for all
All for one
All for one
And one for all
Wake up car
You hear the call
Your country needs you
To play football
Make a stand
Before you fall
Before you fall
All for one
And one for all
All for one
And one for all
God bless the queen
Her people too
God bless this country
God bless this country
And see us too
All for one
And one for all
All for one
And one for all
Military experts
Are joining in opposition
To the sale of AWACS
Spy planes
And F-15 fighter accessories
To Saudi Arabia
Admiral Stansfield Turner
Former CIA director
Questions how Saudi Arabia
Could repel a Soviet attack
On its oil fields
Using the radar planes
When in his words
The Saudi regime
Isn't capable of handling
Elementary threats
Of insurrection
And the former
Chief of Air Force
Intelligence
Major General George
Keegan says
If Saudi Arabia
Is genuinely interested
In protecting its oil fields
There's a simple answer
Open up some bases
In Saudi Arabia
To American personnel
And invite the United States
To permanently deploy
And base one or two
Wings of F-15s
And give us full
Air logistics
And transport access
To that country
So that we have
Resources
Logistics
People
And assets
In place
That can be moved
Into action
With a speed of light
So to speak
American interests
Could easily be compromised
According to General Keegan
If revolution
If revolution comes
To Saudi Arabia
Which he calls
A feudal
And despotic state
I think
It's in the cards
And I would expect this
Within the next
Very few years
So in any case
We risk the capture
Of this equipment
And it's total compromise
To the Soviets
Or their client states
The total military package
According to General Keegan
Constitutes
One of the most powerful
Offensive systems
Ever deployed
For regional use
This is Bob Gibson
You wouldn't know
Pearl everything
Move to a theater
Move to a theater
Move to a table
Move to a theater
Move to a theater
Move to a theater
Move
Move to a theater
Move to a theater
eine Unterricht
Imprudential
These publishing
Housewives
Have a door
Themadıys
Werner
Beans
Zer
陰
When will you tell us that we're not?
When will you tell us not to sing a song?
Nothing we can say will make you see
You've got a heart of stone you can never feel
You say, oh, I'm not afraid it can't happen to me
I've lived my life as a good man
Oh, no, you're out of your mind
It won't happen to me
Cause I've carried my weight
And I've been a strong man
Listen to the man who never stole
Yeah, didn't anybody wanna drink before the war?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
And your parents played you through
You've got a nice big car, nothing bothers you
Somebody cut out your eyes you refuse to see
Somebody cut out your heart you refuse to feel
And you live in a shell, you create your own hand
You live in the past and talk about war
And you take your own grave, yeah, but it's a life you can save
So stop getting fast, it's not gonna happen
And you'll cry but you'll never fall, no, no, no
You're building a world, got it breaking down, start again
This is WBAI New York
The only station in town with the guts to play Sinead O'Connor
Boy, what a lot of garbage going on with her too
I mean, this is all related, everything we're talking about this hour is related
And, you know, you'd never catch me playing Sinead O'Connor
Not because I don't like her, I think she's very talented
But it's just, it's not really my style of music
But, uh, when you read the papers you realize, you know, someone's gotta take a stand
Someone's gotta say something, you know, cause this is, uh, this is insane
Listen to this, the, um, the newspaper today
There has been no let-up of angry reaction to Sinead O'Connor's snubbing of the Star Spangled Banner
At her concert last week in Holmdel, New Jersey
After the Irish pop singer refused to perform at the Garden State Arts Center
Unless officials agreed to pull the national anthem
She says she objects to any country's anthem being played at her concerts
More than a half dozen metropolitan area radio stations reacted to listeners' complaints
By pulling O'Connor's records off the air
I've never been to a concert where they played the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning
Is that, is that some kind of a new thing?
I mean, I haven't seen that
So, I can, I can certainly understand how somebody would feel uncomfortable
Having the Star Spangled Banner played before their concert, you know?
It's, uh, I mean, ball games is one thing
But concerts, I just can't see it somehow
But, apparently a lot of people disagree
Because yesterday, letters and business office faxes
Still were coming in continuously at WBLI-FM
Which reaches about 300,000 NASA and Suffolk listeners
Judging from the comments
One reason for the large negative reaction to O'Connor is the Middle East crisis
Which has heightened a sense of patriotism
Well, that's wrong, it's not patriotism we're seeing here
It's stupidity and nationalism and all that kind of thing
WBLI publicist Colleen Foley said yesterday
She didn't know of a single letter or call in O'Connor's favor
Program director Bill Terry began the station's boycott of the singer on Tuesday
Foley said we'll keep it up probably until the Middle East crisis is over
The correspondence has been so heavy, she said, that we've almost papered the lunchroom with it
People ask that we take her music off the air
And that we play the Star Spangled Banner instead
Which we've done
I don't know, I feel like I'm living in a David Lynch film or something
It sure feels that way
Listen to this
Not a single letter or call in O'Connor's favor
Well, folks
I hadn't planned on doing this, but
Someone's got to do it, you know
Someone's got to take a stand here
Except I can't seem to figure out how to use the telephone
Let's uh
Okay, let's try it now
No, it still doesn't work
Okay, we're going to get a dial tone here
There it is, there it is
Okay, we've got a dial tone
And we're going to make a call
Uh, yes, hi, is this information for Long Island and vicinity?
Yes, sir
Okay, I need the telephone number for the request line at WBLIFM
All right
Thank you very much
The number is 955-9254
Oh boy
955-9254
That's one of those 955 numbers that I've told you folks about
You don't get charged up through a zoo for that one
But uh
It's still
A bit strange
I'll explain the technocratics of that
In just a
Just a few minutes
Let's see if we can actually get through here
To uh
The superstar disc jockeys over at that radio station
Phone is ringing
It's kind of funny actually
Uh
All these phones are ringing here
Phone is ringing
And I'm not picking them up
And I'm ringing another radio station
And they're not picking up
Phone is ringing
Well
We're going to keep this online, okay
And uh, we're going to invite our listeners to call in now
Hi, BLI
Uh, yes, hi
I'd like to make a request
Is that possible?
Yeah
Okay, is it possible to play Sinead O'Connor?
I'll see what I can do
Really? You'll play it?
I don't know if we can though
I don't know if we
I think the records are banned
Are they banned by the station?
Or by the FCC or something?
I have no control over it
They're banned by the station
Ah
Well, if you could just
Say that a vote of support came in
I'd appreciate it
Okay, I'll let them know that
Thank you very much
Thank you
Good night
He does not know that
Many people heard that phone number
And hopefully many of our listeners will call up and also voice support
Because someone's got to do something about this kind of nonsense
516-955-9254
One station being absolutely moronic
And I'm sure there's many in New York City that are doing the same thing
Not a single vote in support
I can't believe that
I can't believe it at all
I'm sure we can turn that around and get her back on the radio
All over the place
In New York, on Long Island, in Connecticut, wherever
Doesn't like the Star Spangled Banner sung before her concert
So, run out of town on a rail, you know
I've seen everything
It's just getting worse and worse
Our phone number is 279-3400
Area code 212
The program is The Fifth Corner
This is Emanuel Goldstein
And the radio station is WBAI in New York
Good morning
Hello?
Is anyone there?
Yeah, go ahead
Oh yeah, hi
Shortwave radios
I'm
I
Excuse me
Come on, spit it out
Spit it out, spit it out
After last week or a couple weeks back
You tried to place a call through to Antarctica
That was a while ago, yeah
Okay, well, anyway
If, on your shortwave radios
14.955 megahertz
And you'll be able to hear phone patches to Antarctica in progress
As a matter of fact, there's some on right now
Oh really?
What's the frequency again?
14.955 and that is on upper sideband
Upper sideband
Upper sideband
Okay, I'm gonna check that out
Do you need a really good antenna for that or can anybody hear it?
No, they're coming in pretty strong here
Now, I do have a pretty good radio here
But it's coming in pretty strong, so who knows
A lot has to do with kind of like your local conditions
You know, if probably
If you're drunk or something, you mean?
I'm sorry?
You mean your physical condition or something like that?
No, local conditions like if you're, say, if you live next to a power plant
I see
Right, well that would hold true for any station, so
Like that, yeah, this is true
But of course, signals like this, it's gonna be even tougher
I called and I talked to Curtis last night
And I told him this, but I'll tell your listeners
Of course, Radio Iraq is on daily
In English, on 13.660 megahertz
Have you picked them up?
Oh yeah, they come in very loud
You should have no trouble
About what time of the day can you pick them up?
Back in the afternoon, from 4 till 6 local time
In the afternoon
4 to 6, our local time?
Our local time
Daily, they have two hours
They have news
The news comes on about a couple minutes after the top of the hour
And then they have some, they play music
And then they have some commentary after that
They've been playing Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes
Oh my god
Streisand on there
So that's 13.660 for that
And 14.955 for private phone calls to Antarctica
Right
Okay, we'll pass that along
Thanks very much for calling in
And let's go to some more calls
Good evening
I hear my voice
No, you don't hear it now
Okay, good
This is, this is kind of a retro time
Sine being yanked off the air
I thought, you know, I thought that stations had grown up
But it's, well, I didn't
Stations reflect what people want them to do
Just like governments, sort of
Yeah, very much
It's just a little bit, it's just a little bit mind-tweaking
I don't buy the idea that not one phone call or fax or whatnot of support came in
Well, I don't think that's true
I think they probably did get support
But it doesn't make a good story if you say that, you know, you got support
And it's not unanimous
Yeah, it's like, let's hunt, let's hunt down the person, the dissenting votes or something
But I was thinking about that when I was walking down the street from work down in the village
And I came across this store which had a, well, slightly amusing t-shirt
Which was a take-off of the arachnophobia
You probably don't know if you've seen it or not
I haven't seen it, no
It has a spider with Saddam's head on it, of course
And it says, arachnophobia
Well, I mean, you know, all that kind of stuff is all in good fun
But when it starts turning to hate crimes and people being censored because of what they say and do
That's very jingoistic
And this is for an excursion which has the thinnest of ideological veneers
Of anything I can remember in history
And they've run pretty thin
But this is really the thinnest
It sure is
This really has to do with, well, it's somebody else's oil
But our money
So, that's pretty much what it boils down to
But, of course, getting confused with the facts is, you know, it's kind of a national pastime
As long as you, you know, you sing the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner
It doesn't matter if you screw up the facts now and then
Well, yeah, but the funny thing was I was reading something somewhere that I think at Yankee Stadium not long ago
They were playing America the Beautiful and people didn't know the words, it took them by surprise
Much better song
Well, it is a much better song, but I don't think very many people know the words to the Star Spangled Banner either
And if they do, they certainly don't know the words to the second or third stanzas
No, they don't
They don't even know they exist
It's kind of, it's scary and screwy at the same time
Because people obviously haven't grown up and neither has our energy policy, but that's another story altogether
But it's very funny, people getting very hopped up and saying, well, you know, we can't let them do this to us
And I kind of say, well, exactly what are they doing to us?
Well, you know, up until the point where they took hostages, there really was no aggressive action against the United States
Well, the part was that we sort of like said, well, they can't do that over there, so we're going over there
I think people kind of forget this whenever they say, well, they've got, you know, they've got Americans over there
I said, well, yeah, they do now
Right, and that's something that I think we should have realized was going to happen when we did go over there
So we've got a flash coming in from the State Department, I'm going to go to that right now
Okay, in fact, I will let you go, I'd love to hear more of this
Okay, thanks for calling
And yes, this is something that we got off the shortwave
Here it is right now
The following is a message from the State Department for U.S. citizens in Kuwait
As you may know, Saddam Hussein has announced that he will allow foreign women and children to leave Iraq and Kuwait
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has received formal notification from the Iraqi government
that women and children wanting to depart will need an exit permit
We are now trying to clarify the new procedures required to obtain these exit permits
and any additional steps that must be taken in order for American citizens to depart
The U.S. government is preparing to evacuate American citizens as soon as this is allowed
You should continue to monitor the VOA for further instructions
As concerning our embassy in Kuwait, the Iraqi military are still at positions around the perimeter
U.S. citizens should communicate with the embassy by phone
and should not, repeat, should not attempt to go to the embassy compound
Anyone thinking about an overland journey out of Kuwait should plan carefully
and be aware that Iraqi forces are under orders to round up anyone identified as an American citizen
Anyone considering the desert route should know that at least one person has died attempting to cross
There are also unconfirmed rumors that others may have died trying to cross
While there have been individuals who have been able to make the trip without incident in recent days
There can be no guarantee for the safety of those attempting to cross
We want you to know that you are in our hearts and minds
We are dedicated to securing the release of all Americans
and seeing you reunited with your loved ones
This has been a message from the State Department for U.S. citizens in Kuwait
And listeners to WBAI New York
I'm sure that message was not intended for
Good evening, you're on the radio
Hello?
How you doing?
Hi, I wanted to talk about the Sinead O'Connor thing
Hello?
Hello?
Yeah, go ahead and make it quick because we're running out of time
Okay, I just wanted to say that I don't think it's right that they banned her song
If you look at other rock stars and other bands that's playing on
They don't play the national anthem before their concerts
I'd just like to say that it's not fair
Okay, thanks very much for calling
And it isn't fair
It certainly isn't
And I never have heard of the national anthem being played in front of people's concerts
Unless it's, you know, someone really old and patriotic
But, I mean, she's Irish for God's sake, you know?
It's not like she's American
Even if she was American, it doesn't give somebody the right to say
Well, you have to play the national anthem when we tell you to, you know?
It's garbage
Good morning
Yes, good morning, it's good to hear you back
This is Eric Blair calling
Hi Eric, how are you?
Okay, good
Good to hear your voice again
What I'd like to say, however, is that, you know, WBAI does not allow WBAI to be discussed on WBAI
I've noticed that, it's a real problem
Good evening
Go ahead
Hello?
Okay, well you have to speak, that's the rule here
Good evening
Hey, how are you?
Okay, how are you doing?
Okay, I'll make it quick
You've got young men and women who may die over there in Iraq right now in our armed forces
You've got a president over in Kennebuckport, a name I still can't even pronounce
You've got the SNL, you've got Alphonse the idiot, the motto, talking about bombing people left and right
And all these idiots like Z-100s and these others can think about is Shanae O'Connor
And that thing with, you know, at her concert
I mean, that's ridiculous
Z-100, I want to say something about them and those other stations
They would have fit in real great back in the 1940s when they were saying such things
That the propaganda is kick a Jap and slap a Jap and that sort of thing
They really and truly fall in with the lowest denominator
Well, you have to tell them that and we all do
It's very important that we get on the horn right away to do this
Okay?
You got it
Stay angry, thanks for calling
And that's going to pretty much do it tonight
We are here on WBAI in New York
The program has been The Fifth Corner
My name is Emmanuel Goldstein
I'll be back again in two weeks, God willing
And if the world is still here
And stay tuned now for Bob Fass
And another quality radio program
Remember folks, stay angry, stay alert, read the papers
And don't forget to write
Don't be afraid of being afraid of
Don't be afraid of being afraid of
These are the Soup Dragons
Something new
Good night
Free now!
I'm free to do what I want
Any old time